#SelfcareSunday Week 3

I am not going to lie, I am so excited as I think about it: this is the last #selfcaresunday of 2017. I am so ready for a fresh start, but I must say that while 2017 was one of the most difficult years in my entire life, it was a fantastic year in skincare. I discovered some of the best skincare products I have ever tried and found products that I felt were missing in my regimen.

On today’s selfcare/skincare menu, I have a couple of new favorites from 2017–products I am currently testing, and products that have stood the test of time. I know, that I know, that some of these will remain my favorites throughout 2018 as well.

YÜLI Halcyon Cleanser. Since I am barely wearing any makeup today (none on my face, only a little KW mascara + a lip tint), I am going to cleanse my face with Halcyon. This cleanser is super gentle, but contains enzymes that help the skin to exfoliate. This preps my skin for tonight’s treatments of choice.

Kahina Moisture Mask*. If you have been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I do not typically reach for moisturizing masks because A) my skin is (usually) not very dry, B) the weather here is usually very humid, and C) moisturizing masks can be too heavy/ rich for my skin, so they end up breaking me out. I recently tried this moisturizing mask from Kahina because the temperatures dropped suddenly (we went from 80° to 50° overnight, and now it’s about 40-something degrees) and my skin got quite dry, especially around my mouth and nose. I was so pleasantly surprised that this mask was very hydrating and moisturizing, but not heavy/greasy. I have been using it almost daily, at night. I plan on multi-masking and leave it around my mouth, nose and on my upper cheek area. Available here.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. I was very tired this week (monthly visit) and I slipped–I baked a bunch of treats and I had some chocolate (a lot tbh). One day, I woke up *surprise surprise* with a red, firm, inflamed pimple under the skin on my jaw line, where I never break out. Before it had a chance to explode, I used my favorite, tried and true pimple treatment, which is the Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask. I have used it for this specific purpose for now at least 3 years, but it never ceases to surprise me. After leaving the mask on the red area overnight I woke up with less redness and with the pimple under the skin feeling significantly smaller. I repeated the same thing on day 2, and it’s now completely gone (today is day 3). So I am going to use it again tonight (on my jaw areas). I am so happy that I didn’t wait for that monster to come to the surface, so I avoided both the discomfort and the scarring. Available here.

Marie Véronique + Kristina Holey Hydro Mask*.On the rest of my face, (forehead + chin) I am going to apply the Micronutrient Hydro Mask. This is formulated to soothe and repair compromised skin barrier and provide micronutrients–like a supplement for the skin. My skin is overall healthy, so this is more of a maintenance/pampering treat for me. It contains green tea, probiotics, B vitamins, collagen, beta glucan, and so.much.more.goodness to strengthen the barrier and improve hydration levels. Available here.

For the past few days, I have been leaving these masks on overnight, but tonight I am going to remove all the mask, including the moisture mask, with a damp face cloth. I use the softest towels I own, and I try to be as gentle as possible. I am going to follow with a hydrating serum called YÜLI Ambrosia Beauty Nectar. If you aren’t familiar with this product, I will have a full-review up on the blog asap with details about my experience and a more in-depth ingredient breakdown. It is a supremely hydrating, lightweight serum that has a ton of benefits for the skin. I love how soothing this is. It makes my skin feel calm, hydrated, and bouncy–never greasy. The serum is available here.

Next, I am going to add only a few drops of face oil where I want to lock in a extra moisture, which is around my mouth and on my cheekbones. I am going to use a couple of drops of a simple face oil like the Odacité Carrot Seed oil or MUN Argan oil* (the Ambrosia serum provides enough active ingredients, so I feel like my skin does not need any extras).

Finally, I am going to use an eye gel mask. I have been really into the Honest Hazel ones lately, and I picked up another pack at Anthro earlier today (available online here). They are soothing and hydrating and stay on pretty good so I can move (from the couch to the fridge and back) without having them falling off my face. And I am in need of a good lip scrub/lip mask, so I am going to use my favorite combo (nothing new here): the Henné Lip Exfoliator and the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask.

See you in 2018. I wish you a healthy, happy year, and great skin of course ;)

Happy 2018 Lily!! Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews and tips. I have been using many of your recommendations and LOVE the way my skin looks. Sending you blessings for a wonderful year ahead!! Grazie XO

Thank you so so much! This made my day. Have a wonderful 2018 as well ❤️

JKat

Happy 2018 Lily!! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and tips. I have been using many of the products you recommend and see a visible difference in my skin. May you have a wonderful New Year…GRAZIE!!XX

lawler

I love that I can grab most of the things you are trying out or recommend at Detox Market. That sample program they have is the bee’s knees. So let me go ahead and add that lip exfoliator and the carrot seed oil to my queue. I hope they pick up Yuli products soon.

Best wishes for a fantastic new start in 2018! I am so glad I found your blog this past year. I really enjoy reading it. <3

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I look forward to bringing more (& more helpful) content in 2018. I agree, TDM’s sample program is a godsend. Certain products are just too pricey to buy without sampling first, and I prefer sampling to having to return stuff–so much of hassle! Happy New Year, xo

Jennifer Monaco Lofgren

Hi – thank you for all of the posts. I enjoy reading them and have been a new fan of Marie Veronquie products – using several of her items currently. One item I haven’t tried is her Marie Véronique + Kristina Holey Hydro Mask – the hefty price tag of $135 is prob the most expensive mask I’ve seen. Do you know what makes it so pricey? I would love to splurge but unsure it will meet the expectations for that kind of spend. Happy New Year! :)